Aaron Rodgers Answers All the Doubters and Gets the Packers Back on Track
By Mike Freeman , NFL National Lead Writer
Aaron Rodgers was looking to throw a pass to James Jones while Jones wasn't looking. Rodgers had to pull the football back because, you know, Jones wasn't freaking looking.
Rodgers threw his hands up like, Dude, what the hell are you doing?
It wasn't the only time something like this happened. Rodgers, for much of the first half, was running for his life. Minnesota defenders got constant shots on him—a shove here, a toss there, a tackle here and there. Rodgers the rag doll.
Then came the second half.
And what we saw was vintage Rodgers. No, these Packers aren't perfect. Not by a long shot. But as long as they have Rodgers, they are still a dangerous team.
The 30-13 win by the Packers was defined by two Rodgers plays in the second half.
The first came in the third quarter. He bounced to the left, and Jones—off a double move—got a huge gain. It was one of the most important plays for the team over the last four weeks. It kept the drive going, and it seemed like that was the first time this team was like the Packers we have come to know.
And it was typical Rodgers.
Rodgers would find Jones again, this time for a touchdown, to help make the score 27-13. It was another third-down scramble, except this time he ran to the right and threw one of the best passes of the day—in any game—again to Jones.
Jim Mone/Associated Press
This was a week in which idiots were starting to blame Rodgers' girlfriend for his woes and in which there were legitimate questions about the team's postseason viability. Many were picking the Vikings to win and extend a lead in the division. They were hot coming into this game. The Packers were not.
What Rodgers did was remind us to never forget how great he is. No, he hasn't been perfect. But he has been talented and gritty, and when he's on, he's as good as anyone.
Just when you count Rodgers out, here he comes, telling you to shove your Olivia Munn comments, and making a statement to the rest of the division.
The statement is: I'm still here.
This doesn't mean we forget all of Green Bay's issues. The Vikings' defensive backs at times took full advantage of what has become one of the more predictable offenses in football. On more than a few occasions, the Vikings were running the routes of the Packers' receivers better than the receivers were. It was incredible to watch, really. The Vikings were Darrelle Revis-ing the Packers.
When the Vikings went to man-to-man, the Packers' wideouts were still being blanketed. It used to be that no one dared cover the receivers so close, or else they'd get burned. Now, you'd need a spatula to separate defenders from the Green Bay receivers. The receivers (cough, Randall Cobb, cough) keep dropping passes that are right in their hands.
There are still issues to be reconciled, but the Packers beat a terrific team, and there are signs of an impending turnaround. Rodgers has now won 10 of his last 11 starts against Minnesota.
It could be argued the MVPs of the game were kicker Mason Crosby (made all five of his field-goal attempts) and the defense. Also, Eddie Lacy made an appearance, emerging from a milk carton, and became a factor on the field. It was like a switch had been flipped, and the result was a statement day from him (100 yards rushing). That bit of Lacy running was just enough to prevent the Vikings from focusing all their resources on Rodgers as other teams have recently done.
Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press
The Packers defense also had sacks, the first in three weeks. Green Bay got its sixth sack of Teddy Bridgewater late in the game just as Minnesota was trying to get back into it. The Packers were also able to prevent Adrian Peterson from going thermonuclear and forced him to fumble late in the contest.
Yet, to me, this game was mostly about Rodgers. The team goes as he goes. In many ways, while Rodgers did miss the open receiver on occasion during the team's losing streak, he has received maybe an unfair share of the criticism. During the Packers' three-game slide, Rodgers had six touchdowns, one pick, 779 yards passing, nearly a 57 percent completion percentage and an 83.3 rating.
Where do the Packers go from here? I'd argue this was actually one of the biggest wins of the Rodgers era. A fourth straight loss would have caused near panic in Packerville. This was huge. This was as big as it gets.
Green Bay's next two games are home against Chicago on Thanksgiving and then at Detroit. Neither of those are brutally tough games (despite the Lions just recently manhandling them). We might see, at the very least, a mini-run by the Packers.
My guess: They use those next two games to take an irreversible hold on the division.
Green Bay has won four straight division titles, and I think it will win it again, for the same reason it had a season-saving win against Minnesota.
The reason can be explained in two words: Aaron Rodgers.
He's baaaaack.
Mike Freeman covers the NFL for Bleacher Report.